20″ 58 km Main Oil Line “Unpiggable” due to Peculiar Polymerized Deposition Made “Piggable” by Online Treatment Using Cutting-Edge Chemistry as a Cost-Effective Approach
Publication: Pipelines 2024
ABSTRACT
A 20″ 58 km ascending Main Oil Line (MOL) transporting 28,500 m3/day of crude in Oman experienced sudden back pressure of 54 barG during routine pigging activity. The pig got stuck at 4.6 km and caused MOL to trip. It was retrieved by back-flow and found wrapped with a sticky polymerized organic substance. A novel specialty chemical technology was designed to disintegrate and disperse deposits into small, non-sticky fragments. The formulation was engineered to be an aqueous base to travel at the bottom part of the crude and to prevent any massive dilution. A non-corrosive chemical pill was injected into the pipeline from the inlet to provide a plug flow and pushed by a medium-density foam pig (online). Different flow rates were maintained to focus on the target location to allow maximum soaking/contact time. The foam pig was received at the receiver end, pushing all debris out, and leaving the MOL cleaned. The entire operation was performed online except for a short time of 2 h, which was utilized to inject the specialty formulation from the launcher section.
Get full access to this chapter
View all available purchase options and get full access to this chapter.
REFERENCES
Theyab, M. (2018). Fluid Flow Assurance Issues: Literature Review. 2.
Saidu Mohamed, A., Jalis, S. E., Raman, I., Sanmugam, K., Turunawarasu, D., Samsudin, M. F., Al Bakri, A. A. Z., and Selamat, K. “Restoring Technical Potential of Deep-Water Well Impaired by Hydrate Plug Embedded with Wax Deposit with Improved Characterization and Innovative Chemistry.” Paper presented at the Offshore Technology Conference, Virtual and Houston, Texas, August 2021.
Jalis, S. E., Raman, I., Al Bakri, A. A. Z., Saidu Mohamed, A., Sanmugam, K., and Samsudin, M. F. “Managing Flow Assurance Challenges in Below Ambient Well Head Temperature WHT Deep-Water Dry Tree Wells.” Paper presented at the Offshore Technology Conference, Virtual and Houston, Texas, August 2021.
Mohamed, A. S., Alian, S. S., Singh, J., Singh, R., Goyal, A., and Munainni, G. “Remediation of Well Impaired by Complex Organic Deposits Embedded with Naphthenate and Contaminated with Inorganics.” Paper presented at the Offshore Technology Conference Asia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 2016.
Alian, S. S., Singh, K., Saidu Mohamed, A., Ismail, M. Z., and Anwar, M. L. “Organic Deposition: From Detection and Laboratory Analysis to Treatment and Removal.” Paper presented at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Jakarta, Indonesia, October 2013.
Umar, A. A., Negash, B. M., Saaid, I. M., Sulaimon, A. A., Pilus, R. M., Shahpin, H. B., and Mohamed, A. S. “Effects of Selected Process Variables on the Stability of Petroleum Emulsions Co-Stabilized by Carbon Black and Surfactant.” Paper presented at the SPE Symposium: Production Enhancement and Cost Optimisation, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, November 2017.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Pipelines 2024
Pages: 65 - 72
History
Published online: Aug 30, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Business management
- Chemicals
- Chemistry
- Computer networks
- Computing in civil engineering
- Engineering materials (by type)
- Environmental engineering
- Financial management
- Infrastructure
- Internet
- Materials engineering
- Pipe cleaning
- Pipeline management
- Pipeline systems
- Pollutants
- Polymer
- Practice and Profession
- Synthetic materials
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.